The invention pertains to a locking means for securing baling wire and a method of dispensing predetermined lengths of baling wire and baling compressed bales of bulky waste material such as waste paper, cardboard, plastic cartons, and like waste materials.
Disposal of bulky waste material is often achieved by compressing devices such as a vertical baler which operates on the principle of a vertically descending ram that compresses bulky materials. The vertical ram descends rapidly and tightly compresses the bulky material disposed below the ram and resting on a stationary base member. The compacted or compressed bale is secured by baling wire and thereafter removed from the vertical baler and disposed of. Similar compressing devices operative on a horizontal plane can be utilized to produce a compacted bale of waste material that can be secured and baled in accordance with this invention.
Past procedures for securing bales are inadequate in that prefabricated lengths of wire were utilized wherein one end of the wire had prefabricated looped end which consisted of a loop and the distal end of the wire wrapped several times around the feed wire adjacent to the loop. The free end of the wire was threaded through the loop and hand pulled tautly and then twisted several times around the adjacent feed wire portion of the wire. Upon releasing the compressive force of the crushing ram member, however, substantial expansive forces of the compacted bale transmitted substantial tensile force to each baling wire. The excessive tension on the baling wire very often caused the twisted wire knots to unravel and, consequently, failure of that baling wire. Adjacent wire absorbed increased loads and, in turn, failed even though several wires were used originally.
It now has been found that predetermined lengths of baling wire can be dispensed as any desirable length of wire and quickly secured by a simple locking means. Accordingly, the baling wire can be placed under considerable tensile stress or excessive pull by locking opposed ends of the baling wire within the locking means which effectively locks the baling wire and even becomes a more secure locking means upon increasing the tensile forces on the baling wire.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to secure loose ends of baling wire about a compressed bale by securing the wire ends within a formed stamped locking means which locks the wire upon applying tensile stress to the baling wire.
A further object is to provide a method of dispensing baling wires at variable predetermined lengths, surrounding the compressed waste materials with a plurality of the baling wires, and securing the loose ends of each wire by threading the wire ends transversely through laterally spaced portions of the formed locking clip which securely locks the baling wire upon the application of tensile forces applied to the wire.
These and other advantages of this invention will become more apparent by referring to the drawings and the detailed description of the invention.